Austin, Texas – Recently, a sweet, albeit shy, golden retriever mix puppy was facing an unthinkable fate. The scared pup was being held at an overcrowded animal shelter in South Texas, and she was destined for the euthanasia room in a beat-up, blue wheelbarrow.

Austin Pets Alive (APA) shared photos of the eight-month-old puppy, explaining the perilous situation:

The shelter, like so many across Texas, was overcrowded, and being ultra-shy made the puppy at risk. With legs too afraid to walk, she was placed in the wheelbarrow in order to be euthanized.

Miraculously, this puppy’s life was spared thanks to a team that joined forces to ensure that she could live the life she deserved. According to Austin Pets Alive, the animal shelter and an APA volunteer worked together to get the puppy, dubbed Darla, to one of their rescue partners with room to take her in.

The APA transport team got Darla safely to a Colorado rescue group (Mile High Lab Mission) where a foster home was eagerly waiting to take her in. According to the rescue organization, Darla has already been adopted.

Great work to everyone involved with saving sweet Darla’s life!

(Images via Austin Pets Alive)